Hagel updates Ya’alon on Gulf tour re Iranian bomb

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke on the telephone late Monday to discuss security issues and military cooperation between Jerusalem and Washington. A Pentagon spokesperson said that Hagel updated Ya'alon on the defense secretary's recent trip to the Persian Gulf, where he sought to reassure US allies regarding Washington's determination to prevent Iran from gaining the capacity to build an atomic bomb. DEBKAfile adds: Hagel also thanked Israel for its restraint after a Lebanese soldier shot dead an IDF sergeant and day of US pressure not to respond.